WCW World Television Title #1 Contendership Best Of Seven Series Final Match #7: Chris Benoit vs. Booker T
This actually match #8 but in a smart, creative way they were able to squeeze this match onto the show due to Bret Hart interfering in the deciding bout, causing Benoit to be DQ’d after he admitted to the ref what happened. Booker T offered to ignore the match and have a true deciding match on this show. I love things like this. They have proper respect for each other and their skills and both wrestlers’ actions proved that. The match matched that as well. It was a pure action match with two people who wanted nothing but the win. Benoit used all of his wrestling skill to showcase himself and Booker T, the winner. Benoit cut Booker T’s leg down to size, working on it among other things to gain a submission win while Booker T tried to defend as much as he can, looking to make a big comeback. Such a tight, exciting match that was more snug than you'd expect. The crowd is hot for the action as well. Booker T hitting the kick of the top got a huge pop. Great opening match. ***3/4
Kanyon vs. Saturn
One of the pure bell to bell matches that didn't work for me. This was a little too long and generic of a match. Kanyon had some good energy to his offence and they generally kept it snappy but it wasn't particularly memorable either. The big thing about the match is the angle afterwards where Raven, dressed as Morris (Kanyon’s gimmick), attacked Kanyon and barated Saturn for losing. Saturn then turned on the Flock and that was it. **1/4
WCW World Cruiserweight Title Match (Vacant): Dean Malenko vs. Chris Jericho
Malenko wants Jericho so badly that he gave up the Cruiserweight Title to face Jericho. Interesting story. The match was standard between these two. Malenko wrestles it straight and focused while Jericho is a sneak and is a personality. It works well but the highlight of the match is the finish with Jericho realising he was losing so he got Malenko DQ’d by mentioning his deceased father and got battered with a chair as a result. ***
Reese (w/Lodi) vs. Juventud Guerrera
This is a match where I left it playing while I was doing other things. NR
Eddie Guerrero vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.
A super cool match between these two. There was great character progression for Chavo in this match turning from someone who is clearly inferior to Eddie Guerrero mentally into someone more aggressive and sure of themselves and eventually scores the win after gaining confidence. Eddie is a prick the whole match but he also changes his approach to the match once Chavo starts growing, getting more malicious and careful, understanding the threat Chavo progresses. The wrestling was good as well. Just small things made this work for me on top with the story stuff. ***1/2
WCW World Television Title Match: Fit Finlay (c) vs. Booker T
Excellent follow up to the Benoit match with Finlay, like a shark, goes for the leg of Booker T and rips it apart. With Benoit it was desperate attempts at winning but Finlay wanted to break the knee, locking on any move he felt like. When Finlay was in control, the match was basically a torture fest. There was one point in the match where Finlay channels Zack Sabre Jr doing a ton of submissions in one sequence. Booker T was a heat magnet. The crowd hangs on to everything he did and Booker T made their investment worth it with great selling and explosive offence. The slightly blown finish didn't hurt a thing as both just go to a second finish smooth enough. Great match. ****
WCW United States Heavyweight Title Match: Goldberg (c) vs. Konnan (w/Curt Hennig & Rick Rude)
100-0!!! Goldberg squashes Konnan in an awesome way. Fuck yeah! Hennig and Rude turn on Konnan and the Wolfpac after the match and I don't blame them. Konnan got beat in a minute. SQUASH.
Randy Savage & Roddy Piper vs. The nWo Hollywood (Bret Hart & Hollywood Hogan) (w/The Disciple)
This sounds terrible. Piper was unwatchable by this period. Savage is written off TV on the next Nitro because he's done. Hogan is spinning his wheels. Bret Hart is months into being underused and is totally univested and low energy. Piper outstayed his welcome in WCW after Superbrawl 7 and he's still there. Fuck. Well the match wasn't totally bad. They just wasted time doing a house show version of a Southern Tag until the closing stretch. Bret was running through his signature offence on Piper until Savage put a chair on the chest of Piper causing Bret to hit his head when he was doing the headbutt into the chest. This allowed Piper to get the hot tag to Savage who seemed to be rolling until his injured knee blew out and that was it for him. Bret won via submission and that was that. Not bad but not good enough. **1/2
Roddy Piper vs. Randy Savage
Savage attacks Piper, despite being injured and does his best but Piper put him out of his misery with a sleeper. NR
WCW World Tag Team Title Winner Chooses New Partner Match: Sting (c) vs. The Giant (c)
Such an odd match to headline this show. The tag team titles being defended in a singles match that goes six minutes. I think the tag match could have main evented the show with Hogan involved. Anyway, this wasn’t a poor match. It was short and sweet. Sting wrestled fast and the Giant could do his giant offence without having to drag out things like bearhugs, etc. The super scorpion death drop finish was cool. **3/4
The show was really good at times. The matches that involved Booker T with Benoit and Fit Finlay were excellent. The Guerreros match was really good with a good story. Malenko/Jericho was also story focused with less actual wrestling behind it. The main events seemed terrible but they were actually okay matches and not too long to the point where they waste your time. Skip the Kanyon/Saturn and Juvi/Reese matches and you’ll be good.
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